Elevator-door.



M. GILMORE ELEVATOR DOOR.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 18. 1914.

Patented July 31, 1917.

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M. GILMORE.

ELEVATOR DOOR.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 18, 1914. 1 234,750. Patented July 31, 1917.

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Wflnesses Inventor M w W I MZZQM Gj/LTTLOTG MMW y M. GILMORE.

ELEVATOR DOOR.

APPLICATION man SEPT. 18. 1914.

Patented July 31, 1917.

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ELEVATOR DOOR. APPL|CAT|ON FILED SEPT. I8. 1914.

} 1,234,750. I Patented July 31, 1917.

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Wjltnsesi Invemiar m w. W w rd (7% MILLARD GILMORE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T0 VARIETY MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

ELEVATOR-DOOR.

Application filed September 18, 1914.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, MILLARD GILMORE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, in thecounty of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Elevator-Doors, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in elevator doors, and more particularly to means for raising and lowering such doors.

The mechanism for raising the shutter or curtain consists of an electric motor, the starting of which is controlled by the operator of the elevator.

The lowering of the shutter is controlled in such a way as to prevent undue impact when the shutter has reached its lowermost position. Latching mechanism is provided Which is actuated by the elevator to release the shutter.

One of the objects of my invention in provicling the above means for use with a shutter is to so arrange the structure that all the operations will be automatically carried out after the operator has closed the switch con nected to the motor. Another object is to provide simple and reliable means which is positive in action.

My invention will be better understood by referring to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 illustrates an elevational view of an elevator door embodying the principles of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a view taken from the opposite side from that shown in Fig. 1 and illustrating in conjunction with other mechanism the switch for controlling the motor;

Fig. 3 shows the top of an elevator with means attached thereto for tripping the latching mechanism;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged view showing the motor and its connection to the gearing mechanism which is connected to the curtain drum; this view also shows the lowerator in cross-section;

Fig. 5 is a face view of the lowerator;

Fig. 6 shows a side view of the latching mechanism and the manner of maintaining the shutter in its raised position;

Fig. 7 illustrates the latch after it has been Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 31, 1917.

Serial No. 862,291.

removed from engagement with the shutter and locked in position;

Fig. 8 is a bottom view of the parts shown in Fig. 6;

Fig. 9 is an enlarged view showing the switch and the link mechanism associated therewith which is actuated by the shutter;

Fig. 10 is a side view of the switch shown in Fig. 9.

Like reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several figures.

At the outset it might be well to explain in a general way the construction of an elevator door to which my invention is applied. Such a door is built up of a flexible metallic shutter 11 which is secured by means of screws 12 to a drum 13. This drum is fastened at its right end by means of screws 14 to a sleeve 15, which is rotatably mounted on a shaft 16. This shaft is journaled in a bearing 17 at its right end, and at its left end is rotatably mounted in a sleeve 18 secured by means of screws 19 to the drum 13.

The shaft 16 has keyed thereto a member 20 to whiclris secured a helical spring 21, the other end of which is fixedly mounted in the sleeve 15. The right end of the shaft 16 extends beyond the bearing 17 and has mounted thereon a disk 22 provided with a plurality of openings 23 one of which is adapted to receive a pin 21 which is carried by the bracket 25 secured to the bearing 17. The disk 22 serves, when rotated, to vary the tension of the spring 21. The sleeve 18 has keyed thereto a short shaft 26, the left end of which is supported by one side of the box 27 which is suitably mounted on the wall of the building. This shaft carries a gear 28 which meshes with a pinion 29 which is secured to a gear 30.

As is shown in Fig. 4, the pinion 29 and gear 30 are keyed to a shaft 31 rotatably mounted in the sides of the box 27. The gear 30 meshes with a pinion 32 rigidly mounted on a shaft 33 which extends from the electric motor 34:, this motor being supported on a bracket 35 secured to the box 27.

The shaft 31 has rotatably mounted thereon an arm 36 which has pivoted at 37 and 38 weighted members 39 and 40. These members have toes 41 and %2 which are normally held against the arm 36 by means of springs 43 and 44. The members 39 and 40 are provided with engaging surfaces and s6 which are brought against the annular casing 47 when the arm 36 is rotated rapidly in the direction indicated by the arrow 48. The arm 36 has rotatably mounted thereon spring pawls 49 and 50 which co6perate with the teeth of the ratchet 51 which is keyed to the shaft 31.

It will be seen that by the mechanism above described, that on starting the motor 34 the shaft 26 will be rotated through the gearing mechanism in the direction of the arrow 52 and thus the shutter 11 will be raised and during such raising action it will be noted that the pawls 49 and 50 will slip over the ratchet 51 since the ratchet will be turned in a counter-clock-wise direction. The arrangement is such that the lowcrator comes into play only when the shutter is being lowered and it serves to prevent undue impact of the curtain as it strikes the floor.

As shown particularly in Figs. 2, 9 and 10, an electric switch is employed to close the circuit through the motor in order to raise the shutter. The switch may be in the form of a three-blade knife switch rotatably mounted in terminal blocks 54 carried by the insulated base 55. The blades 53 are adapted to be thrown into contact with members 56, which are connected by lead wires 57 to the motor 34. The base has mounted thereon a pair of lugs 58 which has pivoted thereto L-shaped arms 59 and 60. These arms have an insulated connecting piece 61 which is adapted to engage with the blades 53 of the switch. The arms have also connected thereto a member 62 on which is loosely mounted a connecting rod 63 pivoted at 64 to an arm 65 which is pivoted at 66 to a suitable support. A pin 67 limits the downward movement of the arm 65. This arm has at one end a roller 68 adapted for engagement with an angle-bar 69 secured to the lower part of the shutter 11. A ridge 70 serves to insure the proper engagement of the roller and the angle-bar.

It will be noted from Figs. 9 and 10 that after the shutter 11 has been raised by means of the motor to its uppermost position, that the arm 65 will occupy the position as shown in dotted lines and hence the switch will be in an open condition so that just before the shutter is in its raised position thecurrent through the motor will have been shut off. It will thus be seen that the motor will be automatically stopped.

' shutter in its raised position and also to release said shutter when the elevator trips the latching mechanism. The latch comprises a stationary portion 71 which is mounted on to a plate 72 secured to the top of the door opening by means of screws 737 3. A reof a weight so that when the reciprocating part 74 is drawn away from the angle-bar 69 the U-shaped member 82 will form a lock, as is shown in Fig. 7. The cross-piece 84, secured to the member 74, will then engage the shoulders 85-85 on the U-shaped holding 7 member 82.

It will be seen that when the shutter is raised and the angle-bar 69 engages the weight 83, the reciprocating part 74 will be free to move toward the left and into the position as shown in Fig. 6. The member 7 4 is forced into such a position by means of a spring 86, which extends from a pin on the bell crank lever'7 7 and is fastened to an adjustable screw 87 mounted in a pin 88 fastened in the plate 72. The movement toward the left is limited by a stud 89 fastened in the plate 7 2. The bell-crank lever is pivp otally mounted on the plate 72 at 90 and has a tongue 91 adapted to engage with the trip- 7 ping device 92 carried by the elevator 93. Then the shutter is in its down position the tongue 91 is out of the path of the tripping device 92, but after the shutter has been raised the tongue 91 will be drawn into the position as shown in full lines in Figs. 3 and 8, so that it will occupy a position in the recess 94 of the tripping device, when the elevator is stopped opposite the opening.

It will thus be understood that when the elevator is moved either up or down that the bell-crank lever 77 will be'rotated, whereupon the reciprocating part 74 will be withdrawn from the shutter so that'it may close. hen such action takes place the U-shaped member 82 assumes the position as shown in Fig. 7 and the tongue 91 will thereupon be out of the path of the elevator as it passes, except when the shutter has been raised.

Assuming that the elevator has been stopped opposite the opening which is closed by the shutter 11, in order to open this shutter the operator will actuate the switch so as to bring the blades 53 into contact with the members 56, it being understood, of 7 course, that the L-shaped members 59 and 60 occupy the position as shown in Fig. 10. The closure of the switch starts the motor 34, whereupon the drum 13 is revolved and the shutter 11 is raised. Just before it assumes A its raised position, the switch will have been opened and the motor is thus automatically stopped. While the shutter is being raised,

the shaft 31 and the ratchet 51 rotate counter-clockwise, but the, arm 36 and the members 39 and a0 remain inert. As the shutter is being raised it engages the weight 83 and rotates the U-shaped member. 82, so as to. unlock the reciprocating part 74, which is thus forced forward by the spring 86, so thatthe nose 7 5 engages with the shutter and, at the same time, the tongue 91'" of'the bell-crank ever assumes a position within the recess 94 of the tripping device 92. The shutter is limited in its upward movement by the stops 95 secured to the angle beams 96 on the sides of the opening. lVhen the operator starts the car in either direction the tripping device will engage with the tongue 91 and withdraw the reciprocating part 74 from the shutter, whereupon the shutter is lowered by gravity owing to its weight and against the tension of the spring 21. The lowering of the shutter rotates the ratchet 51 in a clockwise direction, and consequently the weighted members 39 and 40 are brought into play so that the surfaces 45 and 46 are brought into bearing relation with the inside of the annular casing 47 and thus the downward movement of the shutter is retarded so as to prevent undue impact when it reaches its lowermost position. The lowering of the shutter, of course, also rotates the armature of the motor in a direction opposite to the raising action of said motor.

It will be seen by the foregoing description that my invention contemplates improved means for raising the curtain in addition to improved retarding mechanism which comes into play only when the shutter is being lowered. The latching mechanism for holding and automatically releas ing the shutter is of a nature such as to secure a positive and reliable action.

While I have herein shown and described certain features of my invention, I do not wish to be limited to the precise details shown, inasmuch as it will be understood by those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

What I claim is:

1. In combination, a flexible shutter, a motor for raising said shutter, a manual switch therefor, means for opening said switch when said shutter has reached its raised position, a latch released by said shutter for maintaining said shutter in its raised position, said latch being adapted to be engaged by the elevator to cause the lowering of said shutter, and a governor controlling the shutter as it is being lowered, said governor being normally inactive.

2. In combination, a flexible shutter, a motor for raising said shutter, a manual switch, devices for opening said switch just before said shutter has reached its uppermost position, and a member adapted to be released by said shutter so that it may hold the shutter in its raised position.

3. In combination, a closing medium, a motor for raising said closing medium, a manual switch, devices for opening said switch just before said closing medium has reached its uppermost position, and a spring catch released by said closing me dium when it has reached its raised position, said catch being arranged to be actuated by the elevator to release the closing medium.

4. In combination, a roller shutter having a bottom flange and adapted to close the door opening, a motor to raise the shutter, a manual switch to energize the motor, and mechanical means connected with the switch and engageable by the flange of said shutter when the same is raised clear of the door opening to open the switch and deenergize the motor.

5. In combination a drum, a flexible metallic curtain secured to said drum and adapted to be wound thereupon, spring 90 means within said drum, a motor geared to said drum for raising said curtain, a switch for said motor, means actuated by said curtain for opening said switch a short interval before the curtain has reached its raised position, a spring catch adapted to engage beneath said curtain to hold it in its raised position, and a device on the elevator adapted to actuate said spring catch to permit the curtain to be lowered.

6. In combination, a motor operated curtain, a latch for the curtain to maintain the same in raised position, a manually controlled switch to energize the motor, means mechanically connected to the switch to be engaged by the curtain when raised to open the switch, and means on the elevator to release said latch, said latchadapted to engage the curtain simultaneously with the actuation of said switch to stop the motor.

7 In combination, a flexible metallic elevator curtain and a motor to raise the same,

a manually operated circuit closer to energize the motor, and means mechanically connected with the circuit closer and operable by the curtain when in raised position to open said circuit closer and deenergize the motor.

8. The combination of a motor operated curtain, and a manual switch to energize the motor, a latch for the curtain, and independent means interposed between the switch and the bottom of the shutter to be actuated by the latter, said means being mechanically connected to said switch and adapted to open the switch simultaneously with the engagement of said latch with the shutter.

9. In combination, a flexible metallic elevator curtain and a motor to raise the same,

an elevator to disengage saidlatch and permit the curtain to descend to closed position, a centrifugal governor operatively associated With the curtain to control the speed of descent thereof, manually operated circuit closing means to energize the motor, and mechanical means interposed between the bottom free end of the curtain and said 10 circuit closer to open the latter When the curtain is raised.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 12th day of Sept, A. D. 1914.

MILLARD GILMORE. Witnesses:

LESLIE W. FRICKE, ERNEsT' W. RAPALEE.

I Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0. 

